Association of Christian Schools International

{{Short description|Organization}}
{{infobox organization
|name         = Association of Christian Schools International
|image        = Association_of_Christian_Schools_International,_2015.png
|image_border =
|size         = 230px
|caption      =
|map          =
|msize        =
|mcaption     =
|abbreviation = ACSI
|formation    = 1978
|extinction   =
|type         = [[Non-governmental organization]]
|status       =
|purpose      =  Strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students 
academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. 
|headquarters = [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]], U.S.
|location     =
|region_served = 108 countries
|membership   = 25,000 Christian schools
|language     =
|leader_title = President
|leader_name  = Larry Taylor <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.acsi.org/about/senior-leadership |title= Senior Leadership |publisher=Association of Christian Schools International}}</ref>
|main_organ =
|parent_organization =
|affiliations =
|num_staff    = 295
|num_volunteers =
|budget       =
|website      = [https://www.acsi.org/ acsi.org]
|remarks =
}}

The '''Association of Christian Schools International''' ('''ACSI'''), founded in 1978, is an international organization of [[evangelicalism|evangelical Christian]] schools. Its headquarters are in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]]. It offers tiers of oversight, from school [[Pre-tertiary-education accreditation|accreditation]] to teacher certificates.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find a School |url=https://www.acsi.org/find-a-school |website=acsi.org |publisher=Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) |access-date=24 July 2024}}</ref> Schools and even homeschoolers can also join as members.<ref>{{cite web |title=Accreditation & Certification |url=https://www.acsi.org/accreditation-certification |website=acsi.org |publisher=Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) |access-date=24 July 2024}}</ref> It is regarded as the largest [[Protestant]] educational organization in the world, serving over 5.5 million students globally.<ref>{{cite web|title=ACSI LinkedIn|url=https://www.linkedin.com/company/acsiusa|access-date=December 26, 2025}}</ref>

== History ==
ACSI was founded in 1978 through the merger of three associations: The National Christian School Education Association, The Ohio Association of Christian Schools, and the Western Association of Christian Schools.<ref>George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, ''Encyclopedia of Christian Education, Volume 3'', Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2015, p. 819</ref> Various international schools have joined the network.<ref>Randall Herbert Balmer, ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition'', Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 40</ref>

Initially headquartered in [[La Habra, California]], the growing organization moved its main offices to [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]] in 1994 to support expanded operations and international outreach.<ref name="About Us - ACSI Nigeria">{{cite web|title=About Us - ACSI Nigeria|url=https://acsinigeria.org/about-us/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250714161458/https://acsinigeria.org/about-us/|archive-date=July 14, 2025|access-date=December 26, 2025}}</ref> Later that year, ACSI's primary school and secondary school programs became officially recognized by the [[National Council for Private School Accreditation]] (NCPSA).<ref>{{cite news |first=Laura |last=Miller |title=Private School Accrediting Group Names Members |url=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1994/10/05/05accred.h14.html |work=[[Education Week]] |date=1994-10-05 |access-date=2008-07-25}}</ref>

By 2025, it will have 25,000 schools in 108 countries.<ref>ACSI, [https://www.acsi.org/about About], acsi.org, USA, retrieved December 25, 2025</ref>

== Governance ==
A 36-member Board of Directors, elected by member schools, governs ACSI by providing overall guidance, setting policies, and ensuring the organization stays true to its mission.<ref name="About Us - ACSI Nigeria"/> The current board chair is Elisa Carlson.<ref>{{cite web |title=ACSI Board of Directors | url=https://www.acsi.org/about-acsi/board-of-directors |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref> The board hires and oversees the President and CEO, who manages daily operations and leads the organization's staff. ACSI also operates through regional offices globally and domestically.

== Affiliations ==
The Association of Christian Schools International has historically been a member of the [[World Evangelical Alliance]], but is no longer listed as such.<ref>{{cite web|title=Affiliates|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014162757/https://worldea.org/our-family/affiliates/|url=https://worldea.org/our-family/affiliates/|access-date=December 29, 2025|archive-date=October 14, 2022}}</ref> The organization has, however, been a member of the [[Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability]] (ECFA) since February 3, 1998, reflecting its commitment to financial transparency.<ref>{{cite web |title=Comparative Financial Data |url=https://www.ecfa.org/ComparativeFinancialData.aspx?ID=8048 |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>

==Programs==
The association offers multiple services including [[school accreditation|accreditation]] for early-education programs and  [[primary school|primary]] and [[secondary school]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acsi.org/accreditation |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130223090241/http://www.acsi.org/accreditation |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-23 |title=Accreditation |access-date=2012-09-24 |publisher=Association of Christian Schools International }}</ref> certification,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acsiglobal.org/certification |title=Certification |access-date=2012-09-24 |publisher=Association of Christian Schools International |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926205004/http://www.acsiglobal.org/certification |archive-date=2012-09-26 }}</ref> curriculum and testing products (under the trade name "Purposeful Design Publications"),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://your.acsi.org/pdp-store?ref=textbook_global|title=Purposeful Design Publications Home Page}}</ref> legal/legislative services,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acsi.org/services/legal-legislative |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130223125245/http://www.acsi.org/services/legal-legislative |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-23 |title=Legal Legislative Services |access-date=2012-09-24 |publisher=Association of Christian Schools International }}</ref> and urban school services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acsi.org/services/urban-schools |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130223074556/http://www.acsi.org/services/urban-schools |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-23 |title=Urban School Services |access-date=2012-09-24 |publisher=Association of Christian Schools International }}</ref>

== Controversies ==
The association was accused of racism in 1987 because the board could have had more diverse representation.<ref name="Merritt">{{cite web |last1=Merritt |first1=Jonathan |title=Segregation Is Still Alive at These Christian School |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/segregation-is-still-alive-at-these-christian-schools |publisher=Daily Beast |access-date=August 14, 2023 |date=September 18, 2016}}</ref> The ACSI Board and leadership, as of 2025, has since been more diverse,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.acsi.org/about-acsi/board-of-directors |access-date=2025-11-03 |website=ACSI |language=en}}</ref> but right wing commentators have accused it of being [[woke]] because of its partnership with UnifiEd.<ref name=woke>{{cite web | url=https://capstonereport.com/2021/03/26/christian-school-association-goes-woke/35708/ | publisher = Capstone Report|title=Christian School Association Goes Woke? | date=March 26, 2021 | access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>

In 2023, ACSI obtained church status from the IRS. This allows the organization to benefit from certain tax exemptions and protections, such as not needing to file [[Form 990]], which reveals executive salaries, grants, and major expenditures, thus lowering transparency. This comes after the organization experienced a surge in income and the value of its assets.<ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Rabey|title=School Group ACSI Now Has Church Status From IRS|url=https://ministrywatch.com/school-group-acsi-now-has-church-status-from-irs/|date=February 28, 2023|access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> This move proves to be controversial as ACSI does not provide membership for churches.

In 2025, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education unanimously rejected ACSI's application to be recognized as an official accrediting agency under the state's ''Private Academic Schools Act''.<ref>{{cite web|title=PA Board denies accreditation to ACSI|url=https://www.christianitydaily.com/news/pa-board-of-education-denies-accreditation-to-christian-schools.html|date=March 19, 2025|access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> ACSI argued that state approval would bolster the credibility and accountability of its work, but legislators raised concerns that the organization's policies on "biblical sexuality" were discriminatory and could harm [[LGBTQ+]] students. ACSI's counsel characterized the denial as religious discrimination, with attorney Randall Wenger stating that ACSI was denied accreditation because it focuses on religious education.<ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Woodward|title=School board rejects Christian org's request | url=https://afn.net/education/2025/03/19/school-board-rejects-christian-orgs-request/|date=March 19, 2025|access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref>

==Lawsuit==
{{main|Association of Christian Schools International et al. v. Roman Stearns et al.}}

In Spring 2006, the Association of Christian Schools International sued the [[University of California]] system, alleging that the rejection of several Christian science courses was "[[viewpoint discrimination]]", which violated the [[United States Constitution|constitution]]al rights of applicants from Christian schools whose high school coursework is deemed inadequate college preparation. The lawsuit was brought by the parents of six children who had not been rejected from the university. In August 2006, the case ''[[Association of Christian Schools International v. Roman Stearns]]'' was allowed to proceed against the university while [[lawsuit]]s against individual school officials were thrown out.<ref name=NCSE20060910>{{cite press release |title=Creationist lawsuit against UC system to proceed |publisher=[[National Center for Science Education]] |date=2006-09-10 |url=http://ncse.com/news/2006/08/creationist-lawsuit-against-uc-system-to-proceed-00791 |access-date=2009-04-25}}</ref>

The [[National Center for Science Education]] noted, "One of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs is [[Wendell Bird]], a former staff attorney for the [[Institute for Creation Research]]. As a special assistant attorney general for [[Louisiana]], he defended the state's 'equal time' law, which was ruled to be unconstitutional in ''[[Edwards v. Aguillard]]''".<ref name=NCSE20060910/> The National Center for Science Education works in collaboration with [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]], the [[National Association of Biology Teachers]] and the [[National Science Teachers Association]], which consider [[creationism]] and [[intelligent design]] to be [[pseudoscience]].<ref>See: 1) [[List of scientific societies rejecting intelligent design]] 2)  [[Wikisource:Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District/4:Whether ID Is Science#Page 83 of 139|Kitzmiller v. Dover page 83]]. The Discovery Institute's [http://www.dissentfromdarwin.org/ Dissent From Darwin Petition] has been signed by about 500 scientists. The AAAS, the largest association of scientists in the U.S., has 120,000 members, and [http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2002/1106id2.shtml firmly rejects ID] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021113213410/http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2002/1106id2.shtml |date=November 13, 2002 }}.</ref>

{{wikisource|Association of Christian Schools International v. Roman Sterns}}
The Association retained leading [[intelligent design]] proponent [[Michael Behe]] to testify in the case as an expert witness. Behe's expert witness report claimed that the Christian textbooks were excellent works for high school students, and he defended that view in a deposition.<ref>[[Michael Behe|Behe, Michael J.]] (April 2, 2007) [http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2007-04-02_Behe_expert_report.pdf Expert Witness report] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627021407/http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2007-04-02_Behe_expert_report.pdf |date=June 27, 2008 }} in [[Association of Christian Schools International et al. v. Roman Stearns et al.]]</ref><ref>[[United States District Court for the Central District of California]] (May 30, 2007) [http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2007-05-30_Behe_depo_transcript.pdf Deposition of Michael Behe] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627021416/http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2007-05-30_Behe_depo_transcript.pdf |date=June 27, 2008 }} in [[Association of Christian Schools International et al. v. Roman Stearns et al.]]</ref>

On March 28, 2008, the defendants won a legal victory when their motion for partial summary judgment was granted, and the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment was denied.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Interim victory in California creationism case |publisher=[[National Center for Science Education]] |date=2008-04-01 |url=http://ncse.com/news/interim-victory-in-california-creationism-case |access-date=2008-07-25}}</ref> On August 8, 2008, Judge Otero entered summary judgment against plaintiff ACSI.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/08/08/news/californian/murrieta/za3f1fe48ff6b8872882574a0000ff96d.txt |title=Judge throws out religious discrimination suit |publisher=[[North County Times]] |date=August 8, 2008 |access-date=2008-08-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815065757/http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/08/08/news/californian/murrieta/za3f1fe48ff6b8872882574a0000ff96d.txt |archive-date=15 August 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [https://www.acsi.org/ ACSI home page]